**Syllabus is Subject to Change**

Soc 1A: Introduction toSociology

Spring 2011

Online Class

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**Syllabus is Subject to Change**

Instructor: Dr. Robin Kreider

Email:

Phone: 848 - 4862

Website:

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**Syllabus is Subject to Change**

Office: MA 108 (near math lab and MESA)

Office Hours:Mon: 11:30am – 12:30pm; Tu/Th: 12-12:30pm; and Wed 10:30am – 12:30pm

If any of these times do not work we can also set up an appointment

“[Humans] make their own history, but they do not make it just as they please; they do not make it under circumstances chosen by themselves, but under circumstances directly encountered, given and transmitted from the past.” - Karl Marx

Course Description: This course is designed to provide a general introduction to the discipline of sociology and is intended for students that have not taken a college course in sociology. The purpose of this course is to introduce the basic problems, concepts, methods, and theories of sociology. Students will be introduced to the sociological perspective and will be presented with a set of core sociological concepts and tools to examine the social world and explore social issues. This course will demonstrate the inherent analytical and critical nature of sociological inquiry. It is my hope that this course will not only provide students with a sound and comprehensive introduction to the discipline of sociology, but it will make sociology relevant and useful in their own lives.

Prerequisites: There are no prerequisites for this course, however this course is a transfer-level course and I have the same expectations of students in this class that I would have of students at a CSU or UC. There is a respectable amount of reading and writing in this course as well as a high level of critical and analytical thinking and writing expected. This course will not require you to ‘memorize’ things, but to engage with the material, analysis it, and critically reflect on yourself, society, and others.

Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes:

  • To provide students with a survey of the major areas of interest within sociology and to enable them to define, apply, and use basic sociological theories, terms, and concepts
  • To introduce students to analytical approaches that will provide them with a critical understanding of social phenomenon and social issues facing the world today
  • Identify and explain the sociological "scientific method" and employ the sociological "scientific method" in solving simpleresearch problems
  • Explain the process by which an individual becomes a functioningmember of society and to identify and describe the basic social institutions in the UnitedStates
  • To help students broaden their view of society beyond their own immediate experience and understand how and why their own experiences may be similar or different to the experiences of others
  • To encourage students to employ a sociological imagination in analyzing everyday life

Required Texts:The following books are available at the campus store and most Internet booksellers (*be sure to get the correct edition if you buy on the Internet – check the ISBN #*).

  • Introduction to Sociology by Giddens, Dunier, and Appelbaum 7th Ed.[ ISBN:9780393932324]
  • Threads: Gender, Labor, and Power in the Global Apparel Industry by Jane Collins [ISBN:9780226113722]
  • Additional readings available online or as handouts

Course Requirements: All detailed directions for assignments will be passed out in class. **You must complete ALL of the following assignments to pass the class**

  • Three Exams (300 points total): These exams will be take-home, essay exams.
  • Commodity Chain Analysis Research Paper & Presentation (300 points): You will complete a research paper and present your results the last week of class. More detailed instructions will be distributed.
  • Discussion Forums (200 points): This class is highly interactive. Your regular preparation and active participation in the course is required and expected. Each discussion forum is worth 20 points each and you will be graded on the quality of your participation in the discussion (not the quantity of posts).
  • Quizzes (200 points): There will be twelve quizzes worth 20 points each. You will have one day to access each quiz, two attempts and 60 minutes to complete the quiz. The two lowest quiz scores will be dropped.

Grades for the course will be determined as follows:I do not grade on a curve. I am happy to give everyone an A if everyone does A-quality work.

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**Syllabus is Subject to Change**

Grading Scale:

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**Syllabus is Subject to Change**

A: 100- 95.0%

A-: 94.9 – 90%

B+: 89.9 – 88.0%

B: 87.9% - 84%

B-: 83.9% - 80%
C: 79.9 – 78.0%

C: 77.9% - 74%

C-: 73.9% - 70%
D+: 69.9 – 68.0%

D: 67.9% - 60%
F: 59.9% and below…

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**Syllabus is Subject to Change**

Policy on Due Dates:

  • Papers and assignments are due on the date indicated in the syllabus or online assignment calendar. It is the student’s responsibility to be aware of these dates. For each calendar day an assignment/paper is late the student will lose one full letter grade from the grade assigned to the student’s work. No late assignments/papers will be accepted after three days.
  • No make-ups exams allowed.

Administrative Dates to Know:

  • February 10th: Last day to ADD a class
  • February 16th: Last day to DROP a class with a refund
  • March 3rd : NRS deadline
  • April 27th : Last day to drop with a “W”
  • May 21st -27th :Final Exams

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**Syllabus is Subject to Change**

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**Syllabus is Subject to Change**

Student Responsibilities:

  • Participation: “Eighty percent of success is showing up.” - Woody Allen
  • While attendance will not count for 80% of your grade, it will be difficult to be successful in this class without regular check-ins with the course website. On-line courses require a high level of self-discipline and self-motivation.
  • This class requires a high level of interaction and engagement with me and your fellow students. Opinions and class debates are encouraged, but I ask that students provide well informed arguments preferably related to class materials (by doing this we avoid getting into debates based solely on emotion).As a participant in the course, you are expected to respect the ideas and opinions of others even if you do not agree with them. Some of the lectures, readings, and discussions in this class may challenge your own beliefs and ideas. Therefore, you should be prepared to have an open, engaged mind.

**I reserve the right (but not obligation) to drop students under the following circumstances: has not logged into the course for 14 consecutive days, misses more than 4 quizzes or one exam.* However, if you decide to drop the course it YOUR responsibility to take the necessary actions to drop the course.

  • Academic Integrity: You are responsible for your own work. If you are questioning whether you have documented or cited your sources properly, it is your responsibility to see me about these issues prior to submitting an assignment. If you find yourself thinking about submitting work that is not your own due to pressure, frustration, or any other reason, please talk with me. I am here to help you resolve these issues before they could negatively affect your academic career. Misrepresenting your work will not be tolerated in this class. Students are expected to exercise academic honesty and integrity. Violations such as cheating and plagiarism will result in an F for the assignment and further disciplinary action which may include recommendation for dismissal.
  • Special Needs: Students requiring special services or arrangements because of hearing, visual, or other disability should contact their instructor, counselor, and the Disabled Student Services Office. If you have any temporary or long-term special needs (academic, physical, personal) please contact me during my office hours or after class. Do not wait till the last minute to inform me of a problem, as it will be more difficult personal situation occurs let me know as soon as possible. I am supportive and understanding of most situations (I respect your right to privacy, so details are not a requirement to find a way to work it out.)

Course Schedule

DATE / TOPIC / READINGS DUE / ASSIGNMENT DUE
Week One
2/2-2/6 / Introductions & Social Intersections: Individual and Society
Week Two
2/7-2/13 / The Sociological Imagination / Introduction to Sociology: Chapter 1 / Discussion: Born the Opposite Sex
Quiz #1
Week Three
2/14-2/20 / Sociological Inquiry and Analysis
Commodity Chain Analysis and Research Workshop
Film: The Story of Stuff / Introduction to Sociology: Chapter 2
Review student papers on the website / Discussion: Three Theories
Quiz #2
Week Four
2/21-2/27 / Modern Consumer Culture
Watch: Affluenza
Socialization: Learning Culture / Introduction to Sociology: Chapter 16 (only pages 520-526)
Introduction to Sociology: Chapter 3
Introduction to Sociology: Chapter 4 / CCA Research Topic Summary
Discussion: Advertisements
Quiz # 3
Week Five
2/28-3/6 / Making and Supporting a Sociological Argument
Social Interaction & the Construction of Social Differences / Introduction to Sociology: Chapter 5 / Exam #1 Outline
Discussion: Outlines
Week Six
3/7- 3/13 / Social Difference and Power
Social Stratification / Introduction to Sociology: pages 292-296, 332-335,596-606
McIntosh, Peggy “White Privilege”
Introduction to Sociology:Chapter 8 / Exam #1
Discussion: White Privilege
Quiz # 4
Week Seven
3/14-3/20 / Racial Stratification: Institutional Racism
Racial Legacy
Film: The House We Live In / Introduction to Sociology: Chapter 11
Wise, Tim “Whites Swim in Racial Preference”
/ CCA Outline and Annotated Bibliography
Discussion: Institutional Racism
Quiz #5
Week Eight
3/21-3/27 / Gender Stratification
Global Inequality / Introduction to Sociology: Chapter 10
Introduction to Sociology: Chapter 9 / Exam #1 Rewrite – optional
Discussion: Household Div of Labor
Quiz #6
Week Nine
3/28-4/3 / Globalization, Rationalization, and the Global Corporate Society
Rationalities and Irrationalities / Introduction to Sociology:pages 147-167
Introduction to Sociology: Chapter 20
Pollan, Michael “Power Steer”

“The Meatrix 1”(for fun!) / Discussion: Modern Meat
Quiz #7
CCA Research Paper Rough Draft
Week Ten
SPRING BREAK
4/11-4/17 / Production in the Postmodern Global Society
Work in the Postmodern Global Society: Alienation / Introduction to Sociology:Chapter 14 / Discussion: Alienation
Quiz # 8
Week Eleven
4/18-4/24 / The State, Globalization, and Global Politics
Citizenship and Globalization
Film: Life and Debt / Introduction to Sociology: Chapter 13 / Final Papers Due
Discussion: Consumers of Citizens?
Quiz #9
Week Twelve
4/25– 5/1 / Threads / Threads Preface andChps 1 & 2 / Exam #2
Quiz #10
Week Thirteen
5/2-5/8 / Threads / Threads Chps 3and 4 / Discussion: The apparel commodity chain
Week Fourteen
5/9 -5/15 / Threads / Threads Chps 5, 6 and 7 / Exam #2 Rewrite – optional
Discussion: Cheap Labor?
Quiz #11
Week Fifteen
5/16-5/22 / Consumption in the Postmodern Global Society
Course Conclusions & Student Presentations / Introduction to Sociology: Chapter 19 / Student Presentations
Quiz #12
Week Sixteen
5/23-5/29 / Final Exam & Student Presentations / Discussion: Presentations
Exam #3

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